The introduction of a full-scope payroll process usually takes around two months for a company of 100-150 employees. For one of our clients, we had only two weeks to complete this task.
In this article, we will detail the challenges we faced with the two-week deadline and how we managed to overcome them.
Our client provided logistic services for a large international retail chain. The employment of workers, the payroll process, the payments, and the accounting were entirely managed by subcontractors.
Unfortunately, the previous service providers were unable to continue their operations, so the company had to quickly consider other options. They decided on a solution that required them to take over 150 employees within two weeks and establish all the necessary systems and processes for their employment.
The Challenge
The biggest challenge we faced was time limitations. Normally, setting up a payroll process takes about two months. If we start from scratch, like defining what should be in an employment contract, it usually takes three months.
But in this case, we only had 14 days. Here’s what we needed to do in those two weeks:
- Check the legal procedures for succession (if needed).
- Make sure we follow all relevant laws and regulations.
- Create the right employment contracts.
- Set up an efficient time-tracking system.
- Start a smooth payroll process.
How Did We Solve It?
- Reorganizing Resources: We had to bring in experts from different fields: labour law, databases, payroll, and payroll software. This required a lot of coordination and planning, as we needed flexibility from almost all our expert teams. Since we work on multiple client projects at the same time, everyone had to be extremely flexible.
- Identifying Processes: We figured out which processes needed to be set up at each phase and the level of expertise required. Because of the short timeframe, almost everything had to happen simultaneously. It was crucial to find even the smallest time windows to work in, optimizing our schedule as much as possible. Our labour code experts first had to finalize the employment contracts and payroll policies with the client’s legal team. Only then could everything else proceed.
- Training: We trained the client’s internal contacts on employment and payroll matters.
- Custom Solutions: Since they used a special wage structure (performance-based pay), we developed calculation tables for payroll inputs and custom reports for more efficient monitoring.
The Takeaway
Both the client and our team needed a strong willingness to help to even start this project. Without that, flexibility, expertise, and experience wouldn’t have been enough. As BPiON leaders are all partners in the company, it was clear from the start that an owner would personally oversee and manage the project. This ensured the care and attention we provided to the client from start to finish.
The client did everything they could to adapt to our experts, following the employment contracts, payroll processes, labour law procedures, and tools we defined. This is how we managed to complete everything on time.
The client knew they were starting from scratch in an unfamiliar area. They trusted us, and we helped them. This trust was the foundation of everything and the key takeaway. We can set up a complete labour law, contract management, time-tracking, and payroll process from scratch within two weeks – but only if the client trusts our expertise.
Want to see how we work with more typical deadlines? If you need an audit or help with your processes, feel free to contact us!
